Week 1: Monday, March 4, 2002

Transcription

1 Week 1: Monday, March 4, 22 Day One! I decided to start my AST World Championship journey on Monday in order to start fresh at the beginning of a new week. I spent most of the weekend getting prepared for today. I didn t realize how much time and preparation it would take to be organized and ready for the week ahead. I received all of my supplements that I ordered off of the AST Sports Science Website last week and made out a beginning supplementation schedule, which is outline below. I went to the grocery store and brought plenty of skinless chicken breasts, tuna, egg-beaters, vegetables, and fresh water and then cooked up enough chicken to last most of the week. I have to travel quite a bit with my job and my schedule can change rather quickly. This will be one of the biggest challenges I will have to face during the contest. However, with a little preparation and planning each week I should be able to stick to a consistent diet and supplementation program that will support my efforts to gain lean muscle mass and lose body fat over the next 12 weeks. On Sunday, I took my before pictures and had them developed the same day to make sure that they turned out o.k. I know that I have not been watching my diet that closely lately or doing a lot of cardio, but it was not until I looked at the before pictures that I realized that I was fat and out of shape! I was disgusted and embarrassed of the pictures. I have been working out Max-OT style consistently and hitting it pretty hard. However, as I looked at the pictures, the results of eating pizza and desserts and drinking beer on the weekends with my buddies, as opposed to proper nutrition and consistent supplementation, slapped me square in the face, and man did it sting. Once accepting that the person in the pictures was, in fact, me, I decided that I can do nothing to change where I am right now, but must focus on where I am going and how I am going to get there. I am going to use a consistent Max-OT style training program, proper diet, high quality, consistent supplementation, and intense cardio work over the next 12 weeks in order to build the best possible body that I can! I will take advantage of each and every chat session with Paul Delia, Paul Cribb, Jeff Willet, and Skip La Cour and soak up as much information and knowledge as possible in order to increase my ability to make dramatic improvements to my physique during the contest. I also plan to read Jeff Willet s USA Championships daily training journal each day as a source of both information and motivation. I have created within myself a burning desire to do the best that I possibly can over the next 12 weeks, and I know that if I can stick to my plan and remain motivated then I will be successful! The following is an outline of my beginning nutritional and supplementation program. I used the nutritional calculator on the AST Sports Science website to calculate the calories, protein, carbs, and fat that I need to consume in order to build muscle without gaining fat. I will start off eating a little below this calorie level in order to start burning some body fat. I have created my diet and supplementation program based on information obtained from Jeff Willet s daily training journal and Skip La Cour s website. I figured that I can t go wrong following the lead of two of the best natural body builders in the world. Current Nutrition and Supplementation Plan:

2 Upon Rising (6: AM) GL3 L-Glutamine-5 grams Protein Carbs Fat Calories Pre-Workout (6:15 AM) Dymetadrine Xtreme-1 capsule ALA2-1 Capsule 2 Scoops VP2 1 Scoop Creatine HSC Post-Workout (7:45 AM) ALA2-1 Capsule NAC5-2 Capsules Vitamin C-1mg Vitamin E-1 I.U. 2 Scoops VP2 1 Scoop HSC Meal # 1 (8:45 AM) GL3 L-Glutamine-1 grams Multi Pro 32X-1 capsule CLA1-2 capsules Cottage Cheese Sandwiches w/light white bread Meal # 2 (9:45 AM) Vitamin C-1 mg Ny-Tro PRO Meal # 3 (Noon) CLA1-2 capsules 2 Chicken Breasts Mixed Vegetables-2 servings 1 Apple Meal # 4 (2:3 PM) GL3 L-Glutamine-5 grams Vitamin C-1mg Ny-Tro PRO Meal # 5 (5: PM) 1 VYO-PRO Bar 1 Scoop VP

3 Meal # 6 (7: PM) CLA1-2 capsules Multi Pro 32X-1 capsule GL3 L-Glutamine-5 grams 1/2 Cup Oatmeal 1 Scoop VP2 1 Chicken Breast Meal # 7 (9:45) PM Ny-Tro PRO-4 1 Cup Skim Milk : P.M. (Before Bed) GABA-3 grams TOTALS I will also drink at least two gallons of water per day. TRAINING: Once again, I will be following the lead of Jeff Willet and start off with his Max-OT Workout #6. Shoulders: Military Press (To the Front)...1 x 15 lbs (After Warmup), 1 x 155 lbs Dumbbell Side Lateral Raises...2 x 5 lbs Seated Bent-over Rear Lateral Raises...2 x 5 lbs Traps: Barbell Shrugs...3 x 32 lbs I performed this workout last week at about 8% weight and intensity in order to get my body and mind used to the exercises so that I would be ready to hit the weights today at 1% Max-OT intensity. I put 15 lbs on the military press, which is normally pretty heavy for me, but I was so excited and motivated about starting the contest I pushed out 7 strong reps. I went up to 155 on the second set and was able to finish 5 good reps. This sets a tough starting precedent for me to improve on next week. I will have to stay focused every workout in order to improve week after week. I felt pretty good on side lateral raises. I have had some pain in my left forearm and inner elbow joint and this exercise has bothered my arm some. It hurt a little today, but I can tell that it is getting

4 better. I will listen to my body and try to work around any exercises that hurt my arm. The last thing I want to do is get injured to the point that I have to quit training altogether. I had a little difficulty completing 6 reps on my second set of rear lateral raises, but still felt pretty good. Shrugs felt strong. I will try to go up in weight next week on this exercise. I plan to do my first cardio session tonight (no sense in wasting any time) and plan to start with 3-4 sessions of high intensity cardio per week.

5 Week 1: Tuesday, March 5, 22 I work for a large public accounting firm. All of the people I work with are truly great people and I enjoy working with them. However, needless to say, health and nutrition is not the predominant theme around the office. Whether someone brought donuts in the morning for everyone or it is cake in the conference room to celebrate the March birthdays, there is always something of this nature that can cause temptation for me to stray from my diet if I am not careful. Normally, I am fine to refuse partaking in such activities, but I have to admit that there have been too many times when I have given in and cheated in the past. However, I am now on a 12 week mission to build the best body that I possibly can and these types of food have no place in my diet. Same as yesterday, I have brought all of my food and supplements for the day (including enough for dinner if I have to work late) so that I will be prepared to eat all of my meals on time. I just got finished reading Jeff Willet s Monday journal entry. He was talking about how when you are in a contest there is a sense of urgency because you know that you must be ready by a specific date. He also said that if you do not take advantage of each day then it is no one s fault but your own. I will try to focus on this each day as I have the opportunity to train with 1% intensity and follow my diet and supplement plan meticulously. The following are my beginning measurements that were taken on Sunday, March, 3: Weight: 245 lbs (I am 6 6 but this is still a chubby 245) Body Fat % (With Skin Calipers): 19.2% (not something I test often and now I know why) Waist: 37 inches I know that I have been slacking on my diet lately carried over from the holidays, but I was amazed that my body fat % and waist measurement were this high. Oh well, like I said yesterday, there is nothing I can do about the past. I must focus on improving now! My goal is to get my bodyfat % well into single digits, but rather than focusing on a specific number I am going to go by what I see in the mirror each day. If I can see that I am getting leaner and showing definition, then I know that my body fat % will be low. TRAINING: Legs: Squats...1 x 255 lbs (After Warmup), 1 x 26 lbs, 1 x 265 lbs Lunges...1 x 115 lbs, 1 x 12 lbs Straight leg dead lifts...2 x 295 lbs

6 I like this training program where I do legs by themselves (without calves) so that I can focus on putting 1% effort into each set knowing that I am only doing a limited number of sets. However, I also know that these 7 sets are my only chance to work my legs, which is basically half of my body. Therefore, I must get the most out of each and every rep. I started a little too conservatively on squats. I am very tall and I want to concentrate on making sure that I go down to parallel every time (which is a long way down for a 6 6 guy). I think that if I make sure my squatting depth is good, then I will be able to consistently progress in weight. I feel that my form was good and I was able to increase the weight each set. Next week, I plan to start with at least 26 and maybe 265 depending on how the weight feels. Lunges is an exercise that I have not performed in a very long time. I know that they will be very effective as I could barely walk last week after doing them at about only 8% during my transition week. Since I am not use to this exercise, I probably went a little too conservative, but I want to make sure that I get the hang of them. Although I think I will be able to go up in weight next week, I was definitely feeling it on this exercise today. I have learned to love straight-leg deadlifts since performing them Max-OT style. This is one exercise where I am able to use a pretty good amount of weight, which makes it very motivating for me. I felt pretty good at 295 lbs and plan to move up in weight next week. CARDIO: I completed my first cardio session last night by performing 2 minutes on the stair stepper. I put the machine on interval training level 7. I made an effort to not touch the handrails at all during the workout, but I had to grab hold a little bit at the end. It was an intense session as I was breathing heavily and pouring sweat by about ½ way through the workout. My distance was 2.26 miles. I will try to beat this distance during my next session, which will probably be Wednesday or Thursday.

7 Week 1: Wednesday, March 6, 22 What a hectic day of work! I came in this morning and found out that I had to go to Tuscaloosa, AL (about an hour from Birmingham, AL where I live) to finish up a project there for the rest of the week. We have a tight deadline so I will be putting in some long hours. It s a good thing that I had already done my weight training for the day. I also had all of my food for the day in a cooler so I was able to bring it with me on the road. I have never worked out in the mornings until recently, but I have noticed one of the main benefits is that no matter how busy your work day is, it will not keep you from training since you have already worked out first thing in the morning. I plan to train in morning during the entire 12 week contest for this reason, and also to take advantage of having the entire day to feed my muscles high quality protein as discussed in the Question and Answer section of the AST Sports Science Website. This concept makes so much sense. I am amazed at the amount of practical scientific information related to training, diet, and supplementation that is available on the AST-SS website. It is a valuable tool for anyone trying to increase lean muscle mass and/or lose body fat, and I plan to pay a visit to the AST Q&A every day during my preparation for the contest. TRAINING: Back: Pull-ups...1 x 5* *Lat Pulldowns to the front...1 x 24 lbs, 2 x 25 lbs Seated Rows...2 x 24 lbs V Bar Pulldowns...1 x 24 lbs Biceps: Bent over Barbell Rows...1 x 225 lbs *I have been having pain in my left forearm and the inside of my left elbow and it hurts the worst when doing pull-ups. I decided to play it smart and do lat pull-downs instead. These aggravated it a little, but there was no pain like with pull-ups. I know that pull-ups are one of the best exercises for the back, but I also know that I should listen to my body and not do anything that could cause me to have to stop training altogether. Not during the AST 22 Championships. I will adjust my back workout next week to work around doing pull-ups until my arm is totally well. Also, I ordered some Proflex 75 yesterday. I have done some reading on this product, and I think it will be beneficial to use over the next 12 weeks to support my joints and tendons as I perform intense weight training sessions daily. Straight Bar Curls...1 x 6 at 14 lbs, 1 x 6 at 145 lbs Alternate Dumbbell Curls.1 x 6 at 7 lbs

8 Hammer Curls.1 x 6 at 7 lbs With the exception of having to change my workout due to pain in my arm, I had a pretty good training session. I felt strong on all of the back exercises, but was close to the maximum weight on the machine on pull-downs and seated rows. I will have to assess my schedule next week based on my increases in weight and change exercises if the weight is too light for pull-downs or seated rows. Straight bar curls felt very good and caused no pain to my inner elbow or forearm. I need to step if up and increase the weight I start with next week on this exercise. Alternate dumbbell curls felt pretty good, but bothered my left arm some. Hammer curls put even more stress on my elbow joint. I will adjust my bicep workout next week to do exercises that do not cause pain to my arm. I want to make as much progress as possible over the next 12 weeks, but I can t make any progress at all if I am injured to the point that I can t train at all! Tomorrow morning, I attack chest and triceps and then another session of cardio in the afternoon or evening.

9 Week 1: Thursday, March 7, 22 It s back to Tuscaloosa today for me for what I know will be another long day of work. However, I have been feeling charged today after a strong chest and tricep workout this morning. I am starting to get into the groove of getting up in the morning and knowing that my first task of the day (after taking in a VP2 and Creatine HSC shake, of course) is to perform my weight training. It feels good to get up and accomplish this task before taking on the rest of the day. Today is my second scheduled cardio day and I know that I will have to work until at least 7:3 or 8: tonight and then drive an hour home, so I am planning to work through lunch and then get out at about 4: this afternoon to perform my 2 minute intense cardio and then return to work. There is a Gold s Gym right down the street from the office where I am working. I have worked out there before and I know that it has plenty of cardio machines for me to choose from. I know that it is going to take some careful planning, as well as making choices and sacrifices in order to perform every weight training and cardio session and eat every meal at the proper times. I also know how important it is that I do whatever is necessary to make sure that I am able to do these things if I want to be as successful as I can in my bodybuilding efforts over the next 12 weeks. Thus, I will do what I have to do. TRAINING: Chest: Incline Dumbbell Presses...1 x 8 lbs (after warmup), 2 x 85 lbs Triceps: Flat Bench Dumbbell Presses...1 x 85lbs, 1 x 85 lbs Decline Barbell Press...1 x 25 lbs, 1 x 7 at 215 lbs Straight Bar Tricep Pushdowns...2 x 13 lbs Lying Tricep Presses...1 x 135 lbs, 1 x 125 Like most people, I love to train chest, even though it is not one of my strongest body parts. I started out with 8 lbs dumbbells on incline presses, which is normally pretty heavy for me, but I was able to push out 9 total reps. This means the weight was way too light. I was happy that I felt this strong at this weight, but disappointed that I undershot the weight needed to produce the best Max-OT results. I went up to 85 s for the last two sets and got six reps each time. It was very difficult to get six reps with the 85 s. I plan to start next week with at least 85 s and maybe 9 s depending on how I feel during warmup. Strangely enough, I felt stronger on incline dumbbell presses than I did on flat dumbbell presses. I know that I did incline first. Also, I have not done flat dumbbell presses for

10 quite a while, but I should be able to go up over the upcoming weeks on flat dumbbell presses. Decline barbell press is another exercise that I have not done very much. It felt good, but once again I undershot with my weight. I will learn from this week and really step it up next week with the weight on all chest exercises. 13 lbs was a good weight for tricep pushdowns, as it was very difficult to complete 6 reps for 2 sets. Still, I will try to increase the weight next week in an effort to increase the overload on my triceps. After undershooting my weight on chest, I guess I was a little too aggressive for tricep presses, only getting 3 reps at 135. I dropped down and struggled to get 4 reps at 125. My triceps were pretty waxed after training chest. Overall, I was pretty satisfied with my first chest and tricep workout, but I noticed that it took almost an hour to complete and I was struggling at the end of the workout. I think this is due to several distractions today, such as people at the gym that wanted to talk, waiting on machines, etc. From now on, I will make an effort to really focus on the task at hand and ignore the distractions (i.e. get in, overload efficiently, get out and recover). Doing what is necessary to take my physique to the next level is a learning process and I plan to improve each day based on my experiences, both good and bad.

11 Week 1: Friday, March 8, 22 Well, I have made it through my first week of weight training during the AST 22 World Championships. I am feeling really good and have been extremely motivated all week. I need to keep this emotion and energy going each and every day of the 11 weeks to come. I have had a very busy week at work and will have to work some this weekend (hopefully, just Saturday). Even with my busy work schedule, I have made it a priority to give 1% effort to my training, diet, and supplementation plan. Getting into the absolute best shape that I possibly can during the contest is very important to me. I know that I will be successful if I do the proper things day in and day out during my contest preparation. I am learning that if I make it a priority to do all the right things for the contest, then I will get them done one way or another. TRAINING: Calves: Calf Raises on Leg Press (one foot at a time)...1 x 365 lbs (After warmup), 1 x 385 lbs, 1 x lbs Abs: Seated Calf Raises...1 x 245lbs, 1 x 25 lbs Weighted Leg Raises...2 x 25 lbs Rope Cable Crunches...3 x 15 lbs Forearms Barbell Wrist Curls.1 x 11 lbs, 1 x 115 lbs Standing Dumbbell Wrist Curls.1 x 3 lbs, 1 x 35 lbs I had a pretty strong finish to my first week of preparation for the AST 22 World Championships. I think that I will really like this Max-OT workout where I work calves, abs, and forearms together. This will give me the opportunity to really focus on these body parts as they are the main body parts for the day. I have never done calf raises on the leg press machine one foot at a time, but they felt very good. I was also surprised at the amount of weight I was able to use with one foot. I was able to jump up 2 lbs after my first set and another 1 lbs for my third set. I will definitely start with a higher weight next week. Seated calf raises were tough, but I was able to increase 5 lbs and complete the same number of reps for my second set.

12 One of my goals during the AST 22 World Championships is to read the Max- OT exercise execution section for the body part I am training that day prior to my workout. This morning I made an effort to really isolate my abs by shortening the range of motion on both leg lifts and Rope cable crunches as described in the Max-OT exercise execution section for abs. Man, did this make a difference. I could really feel my abs being overloaded! I know that I will also feel it tomorrow! I undershot my weight on forearms, which I did on many exercises this week. Next week I really need to step it up in weight and make sure that I am hitting the 4-6 rep range on each set. Cardio: Yesterday, I stuck to my plan to do cardio at 4: and then go back to work. I was lucky because the gym in Tuscaloosa had the same kind of stairstepper as my gym at home. I put the machine on level 7 for 2 minutes again. I had to put my hands on the bars a little towards the end of the workout, but not as much as I had to on my previous session. I increased the interval setting to level 8 with about two minutes left and was able to beat my previous distance of 2.26 miles going 2.27 miles. This isn t much of an increase in distance, but at least it is a step in the right direction. I plan to do at least one more (maybe 2) cardio sessions this weekend to finish out my first week as an AST 22 World Championship contestant.

13 Week 2: Monday, March 11, 22 I had a good weekend. I had to work most of the day Saturday, which was a bummer, but I made sure that I completed a good cardio session on Saturday and Sunday. I also had some errands to do so I stayed pretty busy most of the weekend. I was able to relax and watch a couple of movies Saturday night with my girlfriend, who, by the way, is being totally supportive of my efforts during my contest preparation. She has offered to help me in any way that she can and has provided a great deal of moral support as I get started. I keep telling her that she will be rewarded for being so supportive at the end of the contest when her boyfriend has a new and improved body! Jeff Willet talked about building momentum in his training journal last Friday. Although, It has only been one week since I started my preparation for the AST 22 World Championships, I can start to feel the momentum building. I feel it with every Max-OT workout I complete, every proper meal I eat on time, every time I complete a day of taking all of my supplements at the correct times, and every cardio session I complete that leaves me breathing heavy. Each time I take a step in the right direction, It is like I become stronger and more motivated that before. I can already tell that this is going to be an awesome journey! I decided to keep my diet and supplement schedule the same for this week. I am eating fewer calories and a lot cleaner than I normally do (especially compared to my prior weekends!) and I believe that I am eating few enough calories to burn body fat. Also, I have had very good energy in the gym and throughout the day. I will do my best to evaluate my current caloric intake each week and make adjustments as necessary. I think that this is one area where the online seminar/chat sessions will be very beneficial. I will be able to ask the experts when and by how much I need to lower my calories. The only change to my supplement program is that I started taking Proflex 75 four times a day as indicated on the bottle. I hope that this product will help with the pain I have been having in my left forearm and inner elbow joint, as well as helping to prevent any new joint problems during my contest preparation. TRAINING: Shoulders: Military Press (To the Front)...1 x 155 lbs (After Warmup), 1 x 155 lbs, 1 x 155 lbs Dumbbell Side Lateral Raises...1 x 5 lbs, 1 x 55 lbs Seated Bent-over Rear Lateral Raises...2 x 5 lbs

14 Traps: Barbell Shrugs...1 x 325 lbs, 1 x 33 lbs, 1 x 6 at 335 lbs As I stated last week, I am following Jeff Willet s Max-OT workout #6. However, I am not doing the neck exercises in the workout, so I decided to add one more heavy set of military presses for a total of 3 heavy sets. I started at 155 lbs this week and was able to barley get 6 reps with a little help from my spotter on the last rep. As you can see from my sets and reps above, I only performed 4 reps on my second set but got 5 on my last set at the same weight. Part of Max- OT is taking each set to absolute failure. Well, it is obvious that on my second set that I actually must have reached failure mentally before physically reaching failure. Otherwise, there is no way that I could perform an extra rep on my 3 rd set. I will learn from this and strive for 1% mental focus on every set. I was able to go up on my second set of dumbbell side laterals. The 55 s felt very heavy, but I managed to get 5 reps. My goal next week is to start with the 55 lb dumbbells and pump out some strong reps. I remained at the same weight on seated bent-over rear lateral raises, as I struggled to keep a full range of motion with the 5 lbs dumbbells. I don t want to move up in weight too quickly to where I cannot complete a full range of motion. I think that sacrificing too much form would decrease the overload on my rear deltoids. Traps has never been a body part that I have really focused on. Well, this is pretty obvious from my current physique. I plan to change this and really concentrate on hitting my traps hard each and every set. I felt really strong on this exercise today and was able to increase the weight each set. My goal next week is to start at 335 lbs and to really concentrate on holding the rep at the top of the movement and getting a full stretch at the bottom of the movement. Cardio: I completed two good cardio sessions this weekend. Saturday, I completed 3 minutes on the stair-stepper. The power had gone out at the gym and the monitor on the machine was messed up so I could not track my distance or level. However, I checked my heart rate consistently throughout the workout and it was up around beats per minute, which is working pretty hard for me. More importantly, I could tell from my sweat-drenched shirt that I had gotten a good cardio workout. On Sunday, it was some good old fashioned running. I did 3 minutes on the treadmill at a moderate pace. I finished 3.2 miles. This is not a very fast pace, but I have not run hard in a while so this was pretty difficult. I will continue to raise my standards with each cardio workout, just as I will do with each resistance training workout.

15 Week 2: Tuesday, March 12, 22 I just received an from Paul Delia concerning the first AST 22 World Championships Seminar/Chat Session, which will be tomorrow night at 6: p.m. mountain time, which is 7: p.m. central time for me. I am marking this down on my calendar right now. This is an extremely busy week for me at work, but I am determined to continue to do everything that I need to be doing for the AST World Championships. I know these chat sessions will play a huge part in my success level during the challenge. I will be able to interact directly with the AST personnel that is responsible for the awesome training, diet, and supplementation techniques that I am using during the Championships. I am very excited about this first on-line chat session, to say the least. My boss just let me know that our deadline to finish the project I am currently working on is today before we leave. From past experience, I know that this means I am going to be in the office very late tonight. I completed my weight training this morning. However, today is a cardio day for me and I am determined not to miss this opportunity. My plan is to work through lunch and then go out about 3: or 3:3 this afternoon, complete my intense 2 minute cardio session, and then go back to work. This way I will not have to worry about the gym closing before I am able to leave work. The gym I go to is about 2 minutes away from my office so it is not very convenient, but it is cardio day and I will do cardio! TRAINING: Legs: Squats...2 x 27 lbs (After Warmup), 1 x 275 lbs, Lunges...1 x 135 lbs, 1 x 14 lbs Straight leg dead lifts...1 x 35 lbs, 1 x 31 Overall, I had a great leg training day. I was really pumped up this morning and decided to move up on my weight right away for squats. On the first two sets I finished 5 solid reps and on the third set I decided it was time to take it up one notch, which equated to five pounds today. I only was able to complete four reps on the last set, but it felt good to go a little heavier in weight. I will strive to start at 275 lbs next week. I was able to jump up a good bit on lunges. I am starting to get used to this exercise and feel more comfortable with them. Getting 6 reps on my second set was very difficult. My goal is to continue to increase the weight and intensity on this exercise. Straight leg dead lefts felt very good today. I was able to move up 1 lbs from last week on my first set. I went up five pounds on my second set and still got 6 reps, which I was pretty happy about. I was really worn out after this workout, which is a good indication

16 that I was working at a very high intensity. This is what I must strive for each and every workout. This afternoon, I plan to do the stairstepper for 2 minutes and beat my previous distance of 2.27.

17 Week 2: Wednesday, March 13, 22 I just got back from the dentist office, where I had my normal 6 month cleaning. As with most people, I guess, this is not one of my favorite things to do. However, it is something that must be done. I am glad it is over. Now, onto what I need to do to be successful during the AST 22 World Championships. I just sent an question to Jeff Willet about reducing calories and increasing cardio to get lean. I am one and a half weeks into the AST 22 World Championships and I can already feel and see a difference in my body, which is very motivating! However, I am a little unsure about how to know when I should decrease my calories and increase my cardio so that I am in great, (no, outstanding) condition for my after photos. I know that I will need to reduce my calories and increase cardio to really get lean, but I want to do it in a way where I can still add new lean muscle mass. I don t want to drop calories just for the sake of doing so if I am already losing bodyfat at my current caloric intake level, but I also don t want to wait too long and not have enough time to lose all of the fat I need to lose before the contest is over. Hopefully, I will get some good insight from Jeff. Also, I hope that this will be discussed in the Online Chat session tonight. I am very excited about the opportunity to gather up so much good information in these chat sessions. I also think it will be very motivating to interact with other AST 22 World Championship Contestants. TRAINING: Back: Bent Over Barbell Rows...2 x 23 lbs (After warmup) Lat Pulldowns to the front...1 x 25 lbs, 1 x 255 lbs Biceps: Seated Rows...2 x 25 lbs V Bar Pulldowns...2 x 25 lbs Straight Bar Curls...1 x 6 at 15 lbs (After warmup), 1 x 5 at 155 lbs Alternate Dumbbell Curls.1 x 5 at 75 lbs, 1 x 6 at 75 lbs I was really tired this morning. I had to work late last night and didn t get to sleep until around midnight. It took me a while to get going, but once I reminded myself how important every workout was and the DymetadrineXtreme kicked in, I was ready to have an awesome back and bicep workout.

18 As I mentioned last week, I have been having some pain in my left inner elbow and forearm, mainly when I do pull-ups. I decided to substitute lat-pulldowns for pull-ups. I also decided to start with bent-over rows and add an extra set of this exercise. I managed to get 2 sets of 6 on bent-over rows, but was struggling with my form on the last few reps, so I decided not to go up in weight. Lat Pulldowns felt really strong. I had a little irritation in my arm, but not nearly as bad as when doing pull-ups. I have also started taking Proflex 75 four times a day to help heal and strengthen my joints and tendons. I was at the bottom of the weight stack on Lat pulldowns and added a five pound dumbell for my second set. I was also at the maximum weight on seated rows and V-Bar Pulldowns. I completed six reps on both sets, and will need to add a dumbbell for some extra weight next week. Cardio: Well, I knew it. Yesterday, in my journal I talked out how my boss said we had to finish the project before we left. We ended up leaving the office after 1: p.m., which is when my gym closes. I am glad that I made the decision to get out and do cardio at 2:3 p.m. This was not a full 8 hours after my weight training session, but I had already consumed four meals since my weight training session and it was really the only option I had. I hopped on the stairstepper and performed 2 minutes on level 7. I increased the intensity to level 8 a little sooner than last week and I was able to beat my previous distance of 2.27 miles by going 2.28 miles. I thought that I would have beaten it by more than that by how tired I was. As long as I am working hard and improving each cardio session, I know that I am taking another step in the right direction. I will continue to push myself to break through to new levels in cardio each and every session. Well, I need to get back to work so I can make sure that I leave in time to get home for the first AST 22 World Championship Chat session!

19 Week 2: Thursday, March 14, 22 Last night was the first chat session for the AST World Championships. I didn t now what to expect, but it turned out to be an awesome experience. It is one thing to be able to go to the AST Sports Science website and read the great information written by Paul Delia, Paul Cribb, Jeff Willet, and Skip La Cour, but being able to communicate with them directly is unbelievable! It was also very motivating to chat with the other contestants. I could tell from the chat session that everyone was really pumped up about doing well, which just motivates me even more. I was very impressed with how well Paul Delia was able to organize the session. If someone fired out a question in the middle of his seminar, he would quickly answer the question and continue his discussion without missing a beat. Paul, Jeff, and Skip provided some great motivational material and answered many of my questions about diet, supplementation and training. I have already thought about my homework assignment given by Skip La Cour and know what I think by biggest challenges will be. Now I just need to figure out the solutions to the challenges before they occur and hinder my progress (and get them e- mailed to Big Skip before next week!). I truly will look forward to each chat session on Wednesday nights as an opportunity to learn, become more motivated, and hopefully help motivate the other contestants. TRAINING: Chest: Incline Dumbbell Presses...1 x 85 lbs (after warmup), 1 x 9 lbs, 1 x 9 lbs. Triceps: Flat Bench Dumbbell Presses...2 x 9 lbs Decline Dumbell Press...2 x 9 lbs Straight Bar Tricep Pushdowns...1 x 13 lbs, 1 x 14 Lying Tricep Presses...1 x 13 lbs, 1 x 13 Last night, I asked Paul Delia about sleeping less than 7 or 8 hours a night and he told me that he was a big believer in sleeping less and recovering through proper nutrition. I found it ironic this morning when I did not hear my alarm clock go off and overslept by almost an hour! When I checked the clock I immediately got up and mixed up two scoops of VP2 and one scoop of HSC and started sipping the mixture. I got my things together for the gym and for work and headed off to the gym for what turned out to be a great chest and tricep day!

20 I started on incline dumbbells with 85 s and managed six reps. That means it is time to move up, so I went to the 9 s on my next set. I have rarely used higher than the 85 lbs dumbbells on incline chest presses. I was able to get 5 good reps on my second set, and 4 solid reps on my last set. This was a positive step in the right direction. However, now my standards have been raised for next week, so I must make sure that I work hard and strive to improve on those standards. I also went up to the 9 lbs dumbbells on flat dumbbell presses. This exercise felt much better than last week and I was able to complete 5 reps on both sets. The decline bench at my gym was under repair this week so I had to improvise. I used a flat bench and placed some aerobic steps under one end to make about a 3 degree decline, and then had a trainer from the gym hand me the dumbbells. This exercise worked out pretty well. It felt a little awkward, but I was able to complete 4 reps with the 9 lbs dumbbells for both sets. I completed 7 reps on my first set of tricep pushdowns so I moved up to 14 on the second set. I barely got five reps. The ten pounds made a big difference in this case! I started five pounds lighter than last week at 13 lbs on lying tricep presses since I only completed 3 reps at 135 lbs last week. I was able to do 5 reps on the first set and squeeze out four more at 13 lbs on my second set. I improved on every exercise today, which is awesome! I think the extra motivation from the chat session last night may have had something to do with it. Tonight, I attack my second cardio session for the week. I plan to do an intense 2 minutes on the stairstepper.

21 Week 2: Friday, March 15, 22 Another week down and another week of intense Max-OT workouts and adherence to a strict diet and supplementation schedule. So far, so good. I am starting to get more and more motivated every time I do something that I know equals another step in the right direction. The chat session was awesome this week and has provided me with an even greater burning desire to succeed. I have to give a presentation at work on Monday morning in front of my whole office on new accounting technical issues (let me tell you, this is exciting stuff). Anyway, my weekend plans consist mainly of performing two intense cardio sessions and preparing for my presentation at work on Monday. Of course, I m sure I will make a little time to check out some of the great NCAA Basketball Tournament action. I have played basketball all of my life and really love March Madness The competition and intensity level during these tournament games is so impressive. Speaking of intensity, I must continue to bump up the intensity level during my Max-OT weight training and cardio sessions. TRAINING: Calves: Calf Raises on Leg Press (one foot at a time)...3 x 45 lbs (After warmup) Abs: Seated Calf Raises...2 x 25lbs Weighted Leg Raises...2 x 25 lbs Rope Cable Crunches...1 x 15 lbs, 2 x 158 lbs Forearms Barbell Wrist Curls.1 x 115 lbs, 1 x 12 lbs Standing Dumbbell Wrist Curls.1 x 35 lbs, 1 x 4 lbs I had another strong workout and was able to go up in weight on almost every exercise. Calf raises with one foot on the leg press machine at 45 lbs got tougher and tougher each set. My third set was very difficult, but I managed to get 8 reps on both legs each set. I also jumped up 5 lbs on seated calf raises. I am really trying to concentrate on fully stretching and contracting the calf muscle during

22 these movements, and want to make sure that I am doing so before jumping up too much in weight. I stayed with 25 lbs on weighted leg raises. I am still getting use to keeping the smaller range of motion as described in the Max-OT Training Series. This makes the exercise more difficult, but I am sure that it is also that much more effective. The machine where I do rope cable crunches only goes up to 15 lbs, so I added an eight pound dumbbell for my second and third sets. I was really motivated during forearms today. My forearms have never been very impressive and I want to hit them very hard and make the most gains that I possibly can. This is one of the most visible bodyparts when you are wearing street clothes and, damnitt, when I am wearing short sleeve shirts I want to look like I work out. I was able to move up in weight on both barbell wrist curls and standing dumbbell curls. I need to move up in weight next week on dumbbell wrist curls as I completed 1 reps on both sets today. Cardio: I completed another 2 minutes on level 7 on the stairstepper last night. I increased the level to 8, 9, then 1 at the end of the workout and passed my previous distance of 2.28 miles going 2.33 miles. This is the biggest increase I have had in distance on the stairstepper yet. Soon, I am going to try to jump up to level 8 to increase the intensity even more. I can tell that my cardiovascular endurance is getting better. This weekend I plan to do another two intense cardio sessions both Saturday and Sunday. I will think about how ripped I want to be for my after pictures in June!

23 Week 3: Monday, March 18, 22 Well, I made it through my presentation at work this morning. It went pretty well and actually was not too painful. I stuck to my diet and supplementation schedule this weekend and completed two intense cardio sessions, one on Saturday and another on Sunday. Each time I get through a weekend while adhering 1% to my diet, supplementation, and cardio plan I feel like I have taken a giant step forward in my journey during the AST 22 World Championships. The reason for this is that my weekends use to consist of going out and drinking with my friends and figuring out where I would have all of my cheat meals for the weekend. I was hitting it hard during the week and eating pretty well, but I would blow it all to hell on the weekends. I am starting to realize how important 2 extra days per week of proper diet, supplementation, and recovery are to my bodybuilding efforts. I guess I have really known this for a while, but was not willing to pay the price and live it. Well, now I am committed to doing everything I can, every single day to maximize my efforts in the gym. I have made my first diet and supplementation change this week. My first reduction in calories is to eliminate the milk with my night time Ny-Tro Pro 4 and replace it with water. This will result in a reduction of about 9 calories per day coming from both carbs and protein. I have also started using the post cardio supplementation plan described by Paul Delia and Jeff Willet on the AST-SS Website on the weekends. After performing cardio on the weekends, I now take 1 grams of GL3 L-Glutamine and 5-1 grams of Micronized Creatine mixed with 1-2 scoops of VP2. Not using Creatine HSC on the weekends will help eliminate excess calories when I do not need them. As you can see from the chart below, I have also added another ALA 2 capsule to be taken with meal #7 at night. Current Nutrition and Supplementation Plan: Upon Rising (6: AM) GL3 L-Glutamine-5 grams Protein Carbs Fat Calories Pre-Workout (6:1 AM) ProFlex 75-1 Capsule Dymetadrine Xtreme-2 capsules ALA2-1 Capsule 2 Scoops VP2 1 Scoop Creatine HSC

24 Post-Workout (7:45 AM) ProFlex 75-1 Capsule ALA2-1 Capsule NAC5-2 Capsules Vitamin C-1mg Vitamin E-1 I.U. 2 Scoops VP2 1 Scoop HSC Meal # 1 (8:45 AM) GL3 L-Glutamine-1 grams Multi Pro 32X-1 capsule CLA1-2 capsules Cottage Cheese Sandwiches w/light white bread Meal # 2 (9:45 AM) Vitamin C-1 mg Ny-Tro PRO Meal # 3 (Noon) ProFlex 75-1 Capsule CLA1-2 capsules 2 Chicken Breasts Mixed Vegetables-2 servings 1 Apple Meal # 4 (2:3 PM) GL3 L-Glutamine-5 grams Vitamin C-1mg Ny-Tro PRO Meal # 5 (5: PM) 1 VYO-PRO Bar 1 Scoop VP Meal # 6 (7: PM) ProFlex 75-1 Capsule CLA1-2 capsules Multi Pro 32X-1 capsule GL3 L-Glutamine-5 grams 1/2 Cup Oatmeal 1 Scoop VP2 1 Chicken Breast Meal # 7 (1: PM) ALA2-1 Capsule Vitamin C-1mg

25 Ny-Tro PRO :15 P.M. (Before Bed) GABA-4-5 grams TOTALS I will continue to drink at least two gallons of water per day. TRAINING: Shoulders: Military Press (To the Front)...1 x 155 lbs (After Warmup), 1 x 155 lbs, 1 x 155 lbs Dumbbell Side Lateral Raises...2 x 55 lbs Seated Bent-over Rear Lateral Raises...2 x 5 lbs Traps: Barbell Shrugs...1 x 34 lbs, 2 x 345 lbs I started taking two Dymetadrine Xtreme this week prior to my workout to add some extra intensity and focus. I was so fired up and ready to go this morning it was amazing. I felt strong and energized throughout my workout. Once again, I completed more reps on my third set than on my second set on Military Presses. I now have a specific goal next week to make my second set my best set. It seems that for some reason I am not getting everything mentally out of that middle set. I was able to move up to the 55 lbs dumbbells on side lateral raises and complete 6 reps on both sets. This is the best I have ever done at this weight and the best I have felt doing this exercise. I stayed with the 5 lbs dumbbells for bent-over rear lateral raises, but felt like I was getting a better range of motion this week on each rep. I will make an effort to move up in weight next week. I was able to move up in weight on barbell shrugs while keeping a good controlled range of motion. Overall, It was a great way to start the week. Cardio: Saturday, I completed 3 minutes of running on the treadmill. I started out at a moderate jog and increased the speed/incline every five minutes until I was running pretty hard by the end of the workout. I beat last week s running distance by going 3.23 miles. On Sunday, I completed 3 minutes on the stairstepper. Once again, I started at a moderate pace and increased the level throughout the

26 workout. During the last ten minutes I was really breathing hard and had to hang onto the handrails a little just to keep going. I was pouring with sweat by the end of the 3 minutes and finished 3.3 miles. This will be my benchmark for next weekend s 3 minute session since last week the computer on the machine was broken so I could not get an accurate reading. Time to go eat some chicken and veggies! Until tomorrow, I will keep thinking about moving Full Speed Ahead.

27 Week 3: Tuesday, March 19, 22 It is funny how little things can make such a big difference. For example, I purchased an AST Ultimate Shaker Bottle with my first purchase of supplements for the AST 22 World Championships. I have used all kinds of different shaker bottles to mix protein shakes in the past, but the AST Ultimate Shaker Bottle is 1 times better than any of the others. The graded mixer makes for a totally smooth protein shake with no lumps, but best of all is the leak-proof lid and drinking dispenser. I no longer have to worry about the shake getting on the outside of the shaker and dripping down onto my face and clothes, which can be very embarrassing at work! In fact, I immediately ordered another Ultimate Shaker Bottle and discarded all of the old worthless shakers that I had. I make sure that I always have a clean Ultimate Shaker Bottle on-hand so that I will be ready to supply my body with a quick, mess-free Ny-Tro Pro 4 or VP2 and HSC shake in a pinch. Jeff Willet mentioned in his Daily Training Journal yesterday that each day provides new opportunities for us to do the things we need to do in order to improve ourselves. I will remember this statement and strive to make sure that I am using total AST Execution every day, and continually progressing toward my goals during the contest. TRAINING: Legs: Squats...3 x 275 lbs (After Warmup) Lunges...1 x 14 lbs, 1 x 145 lbs Straight leg dead lifts...1 x 31 lbs, 1 x 315 I decided to start at 275 lbs this week on squats since I ended with this weight on my last set last week. I felt really good during warm-ups, but the 275 lbs felt heavier than I thought it would. I have been really making an effort to go down to parallel on squats in order to achieve a full range of motion and maximum muscle fiber recruitment. It was very difficult, but I managed to get four reps on each set. On my fourth rep of the last set of squats my knees started to buckle in. I concentrated on pushing my knees out and drove the weight up for my fourth rep. I was breathing very heavily and felt like I was going to pass out! It took a few minutes to recover before my first set of lunges. I will probably stay with 275 lbs next week on squats and make an effort to increase my reps while maintaining a full, deep squat. I am really starting to get the hang of lunges and was able to move up in weight again this week. I also moved up on straight-leg dead lifts. I don t know what it is about this exercise, but compared to other exercises I perform and other people I know who perform straight leg dead lifts, I am really moving some good weight. I make an effort to get a

28 good stretch and use good form on the movement, but I just keep feeling stronger. I will use this exercise as a motivating factor to strive to increase weight on other exercises as well. Tonight, I will attempt to beat my previous distance of 2.33 miles on the stairstepper, which will be another step towards achieving great physical condition.

29 Week 3: Wednesday, March 2, 22 My manager just informed me and one of my coworkers that he needed one of us to go to Atlanta, GA to work on Thursday and Friday of this week and then all of next week, and that he needed one of us to go to Reynosa, Mexico for two weeks. I immediately thought about how this would affect my training and diet for the contest. My coworker and I figured that flipping a coin would be the fairest way to decide who went where. I called heads and was extremely relieved when the coin landed on heads and I got first choice of where to go. Naturally, I chose Atlanta. We even flipped two more times just to see what would happen and I won both of those times as well. It would have been extremely difficult to stay on my training and diet plan in a small Mexican city, that is for sure. Still, I had to plan quickly for my trip to Atlanta. No problem. I found out that I would be working in our Atlanta office downtown, so I got on the internet and was lucky enough to find a Residence Inn by Marriott with full kitchens in every room within 1 mile from the office where I would be working. Cool! I made reservations for tonight and Thursday night and went ahead and made reservations for all of next week to make sure that I would have a room as needed. A little more searching on the internet and I found four gyms within a few miles of the hotel and office! Very cool! The only thing left is to make sure that I make plenty of food and pack all of my supplements for the two days that I will be in Atlanta. With this careful planning, I should not miss a beat on my training or diet while I am out of town. TRAINING: Back: Bent Over Barbell Rows...2 x 23 lbs (After warmup) Lat Pulldowns to the front...2 x 255 lbs Seated Rows...2 x 25 lbs V Bar Pulldowns...2 x 255 lbs Biceps: Straight Bar Curls...1 x 6 at 155 lbs (After warmup), 1 x 5 at 155 lbs Alternate Dumbbell Curls.2 x 6 at 75 lbs I am starting to get more and more motivated every day and literally jump out of bed when the alarm goes off, ready to conquer my morning workout with vigor and